Copa Airlines has ordered 40 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with options for 20 additional jets, as part of its plan to grow operations at its Panama City hub.
The agreement, announced on April 28, 2026, in Panama City, was signed during a ceremony attended by Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stephanie Pope, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, and U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera. This order, previously listed as unidentified in Boeing’s backlog, supports Copa’s all-737 fleet strategy.
Combined with its existing order book, Copa expects to incorporate more than 100 737 MAX aircraft over the next eight years. The airline currently operates 116 aircraft, including 57 Boeing 737-800s, 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 32 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, and nine Boeing 737-700s, with three parked.
The new jets, likely including 737-8 and 737-9 variants, provide greater range and fuel efficiency for high-density routes and longer flights across the Americas and Caribbean. Heilbron stated that the additions will expand operations and route network while supporting economic development in Panama and the region.
Boeing’s market forecast predicts Latin America and the Caribbean will need over 2,300 new aircraft in the next 20 years, with single-aisle models like the 737 MAX comprising about 90% of deliveries.